Ken's Steak House Italian Dressing & Marinade
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Salad dressings

Ken's Steak House Italian Dressing & Marinade

29 g

Score

Okay 49 out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in salt
  • Contains seed oils
  • May contain traces of 1,4-dioxane
  • No synthetic dyes

Why it scores 49

Ken's Steak House Italian Dressing & Marinade scores 49 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
  2. minus 9 points Salt 3.8 g / 100 g: Very high in salt. Strong
  3. minus 6 points 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers: Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavor enhancer, sequestrant and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. Emerging

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

The Receipt

Italian Dressing & Marinade

START100

Ingredients

  • Canola oil minus 2.5 points
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [1][2][3][4]
  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG) minus 2.5 points
    Strong The FDA considers MSG generally recognized as safe; some sensitive people report mild, short-lived symptoms after 3 g or more without food. [5][6][7]
  • Polysorbate 60 minus 2.5 points
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [7]
  • Disodium ribonucleotides minus 1.5 points
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [7]
  • Xanthan gum minus 1.5 points
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [7]
  • Calcium disodium EDTA minus 1.5 points
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [7]
subtotal−12

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [7]
  • 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavor enhancer, sequestrant and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [7]
subtotal−24

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Saturated fat 3.3 g / 100 g minus 3 points
    Strong High in saturated fat. [8]
  • Salt 3.8 g / 100 g minus 9 points
    Strong Very high in salt. [9]
  • Energy 500 kcal / 100 g minus 3 points
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [10]
subtotal−15

TOTAL 49Okay

100 − 51 = 49

Can’t score above 79. High in fat and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [11]


GTIN 00041335000501 · 2026-05-30

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy500 kcal
Fat56.7 g
Saturated fat3.3 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates0 g
Sugars0 g
Added sugars0 g
Fiber0 g
Protein0 g
Salt3.8 g

Serving: 1 serving (30 g)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

CANOLA OIL, DISTILLED VINEGAR, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF GARLIC,* MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, ONION,* POLYSORBATE 60, DISODIUM INOSINATE AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE, XANTHAN GUM, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), BETA CAROTENE (COLOR).

Allergens and diets

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Sources

  1. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

    BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

    “replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”

    doi.org

  2. Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

    Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

    “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

    doi.org

  3. Questions and Answers on Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Jul 17, 2026 · Regulator

    “FDA considers the addition of MSG to foods to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).”

    fda.gov

  4. EFSA reviews safety of glutamates added to food

    European Food Safety Authority · Jul 12, 2017 · Agency assessment

    “EFSA re-assessed the safety of glutamates used as food additives and derived a group acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 30 mg/kg body weight per day for all six of these additives.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  5. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  6. Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline

    World Health Organization · Jul 17, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”

    who.int

  7. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”

    who.int

  8. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  9. Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets

    Department of Health and Social Care / Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK) · Nov 8, 2016 · Regulator

    “Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  10. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”

    doi.org

  11. 1,4-Dioxane in Cosmetics: A Manufacturing Byproduct

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Regulator

    “1,4-dioxane forms as a byproduct during the manufacturing process of certain cosmetic ingredients.”

    fda.gov

  12. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int